Manzini Youth Care Clinic

The Manzini Youth Care Clinic has recently moved to the Bosco Youth Centre. It will continue to provide free daily medical care to the MYC boys and the local community on site, as well as visiting the HIV infected and affected homesteads with the weekly outreach programme. Future plans for the new clinic include providing Voluntary Counselling and HIV Testing for the youth. By opening a VCT centre in the sports hall, the general concept is to integrate the testing physically into a youth environment, and socially into a sporting environment, minimising the usual stigma associated with getting tested.

Since March 2012, we have been visiting a sample of 16 out of 46 schools, participating in the US AID/MYC food distribution programme. USAID donated 75 tons of food to MYC for distribution to schools and soup kitchens, in order to enhance food security for the recipients. The programme ensures that over 23,000 marginalised youth and adults get a nutritionally balanced meal every day. We have been conducting nutritional assessments to determine whether the programme has been
beneﬁcial, and it is evident that overall, the food distribution programme has been successful. We have noted an increase of height and weight for most students, and an increase in attendance; more students are coming to school as it ensures they will receive at least one meal a day.